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Rocky Balboa (film)
In 2006, Rocky Balboa (Sylvester Stallone) has been retired from boxing for sixteen years and lives a quiet life as a widower. His wife Adrian Pennino Balboa (Talia Shire) had died from cancer 4 years earlier. He runs a small but very successful Italian restaurant named after her, where he regales his patrons with stories of his past. He also battles personal demons involving his grief over Adrian's death, the changing times, and his eroding relationship with his son Robert (Milo Ventimiglia), a struggling corporate employee. Paul "Paulie" Pennino (Burt Young), Rocky's brother-in-law and best friend, continues to support him whenever he can. Late one night, Rocky reunites with a much older "Little" Marie (Geraldine Hughes), a once mischievous neighborhood girl that Rocky met when she was a child, now working as a bartender at the Lucky Seven (a bar Rocky once frequented in the mid-1970s), and a single parent of a teenaged son born out of wedlock: Stephenson, nicknamed "Steps" (James Francis Kelly III). Rocky's friendship with the two quickly blossoms over the following weeks, and Steps takes to him as a father figure. Meanwhile on the professional boxing circuit, Mason "The Line" Dixon (Antonio Tarver) reigns as the undisputed world heavyweight champion. ESPN broadcasts a computer simulation of a fight between Rocky (in his prime) and Mason — likened to a modern-day version of The Super Fight — which ends in a controversial KO victory for Balboa, riling the champ. In contrast, the simulation inspires Rocky to take up boxing again — an intention that goes public when he successfully renews his license. Dixon's promoters pitch the idea of holding a charity exhibition bout at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas to bolster Dixon's falling popularity. With some hesitation, both men agree to the match, creating a media buzz that stabs at Rocky's has-been status and Dixon's credibility; Dixon having yet to face a challenging opponent. Robert later makes an effort to discourage Rocky from fighting, blaming his own personal failings on his father's celebrity shadow, but Rocky rebukes him with some advice: that to succeed in life, "it ain't about how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward", and that blaming others won't help him. The next day, father and son meet over Adrian's grave and reconcile; Robert has quit his job to be at Rocky's side. Rocky sets straight to training with Apollo Creed's old trainer Duke (Tony Burton) who quickly surmises that the slow and arthritic Rocky can only compete by building his strength and punching power as much as possible. The fight becomes an HBO Pay-per-View event. Dixon easily dominates the first round only to injure his left hand against Rocky's hip in the second, after which Rocky makes a dramatic comeback: he manages to knock Dixon down once and then continues to surprise the audience with his prowess and chin against the much younger and faster fighter. Dixon sends Rocky to one knee in the final round, but the elder fighter pulls himself to his feet for one last assault. The two opponents then continue to punish each other severely throughout the remainder of the final round, ending with the two fighters both still standing. Rocky thanks an appreciative Dixon for the fight and leaves the ring to the adulation of the crowd as the result is announced ... In the closing shot, Rocky returns home and visits Adrian's grave again; thanking her for helping him.